German woman extradited to Sweden on suspicion of murdering children 01/05/2008 00:00

A German woman has been extradited to Sweden on suspicion of murdering two young children, allegedly in anger at an ex-boyfriend. She pleads innocent on all charges.

Stockholm -- A German woman, 31, who has been extradited to Sweden where she is suspected of beating two children, of the ages one and three, to death, has claimed she was innocent, her lawyer said on Wednesday.

"My client firmly maintains she is completely innocent of these crimes," lawyer Per-Ingvar Ekblad told reporters after a brief meeting with her.

The woman student was flown to Sweden on Tuesday evening, and at around 11 pm she was placed in to custody in Vasteras, about 100 kilometres west of Stockholm, police spokesman Borje Stromberg said.

Police aim to interview the woman on Friday, Bo Forsman, head of the investigation, told reporters in Vasteras.

Prosecutor Frieda Gummesson added that Ekblad had requested time to prepare for the interview.

Swedish authorities have cooperated with prosecutors in the German city of Celle over the case.

Forsman said the police were still waiting for results from DNA tests, including of a hammer believed to have been used in the attack.

The student denies allegations, widely aired in the media, that after she was jilted by a Swedish boyfriend she had attacked his new girlfriend and the Swedish woman's children from previous relationships.

The Swedish woman, 23, survived the attack in the town of Arboga in March but reportedly cannot remember what happened.

The woman, who recently left hospital, said the hearing in her right ear was impaired and she was also injured in one eye.

"Luckily I will not be handicapped," the woman was quoted as telling local newspaper VLT.

According to VLT, the woman had no memory of the events on the evening. Her last conversation before the attack was with her sister. The two were chatting via an online messaging service, and the 23- year-old had just written it was time to put the children to bed.

The woman's partner who arrived at the scene and alerted police, added "she does not want to remember. I have to remember," VLT said.

DPA